We carried out a review of the data available to us about Dolphin Manor on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Dolphin Manor, you can give feedback on this service.
Everyone we spoke with told us Dolphin Manor was a homely place to reside and visit, that staff were kind and caring and that people were treated with respect.
People were involved in their day to day lives through being empowered to make their own choices about where they spent their time, who with and how. Their independence was promoted and staff actively ensured people maintained links with their friends and family.
People’s health was well managed and staff had positive links with professionals which promoted wellbeing for them.
Staff showed a genuine motivation to deliver care in a person centred way based on people’s preferences and likes. People were observed to have good relationships with the staff team.
The environment was safe and people had access to appropriate equipment where needed. Staff had received appropriate training and support to enable them to carry out their role safely, including the management of medicines.
People felt the use of agency staff at times affected the experience they had of the service. The registered manager worked hard to provide consistent agency workers to overcome this. An ongoing project to recruit suitable permanent workers was in place.
Staff had a good knowledge of how to keep people safe from avoidable harm however we recommended that the provider commence using evidence based risk assessment tools to aid the knowledge staff have.
People were supported to take their medicines in a safe way, but staff did not always have robust details on when to give medicines that were prescribed ‘as and when required’.
There was enough staff on duty at the right time to enable people to receive care in a timely way. In addition, people had opportunity to access a wide range of activities including access to the local community.
Lots of checks were completed by staff, the registered manager and provider to check the quality and safety of the service. We found some areas for development which the provider had not recognised. The provider agreed to review their approach and make necessary changes.
The registered manager and senior team worked well to lead the staff team in their roles and ensure people received a good service. People, their relatives and staff told us they were approachable and that they listened to them when they had any concerns or ideas. All feedback was used to make continuous improvements to the service.
More information is in Detailed Findings below
Rating at last inspection: Good (report published 9 February 2015)
About the service: Dolphin Manor is a care home that provides personal care for up to 35 people, some of whom are living with dementia. At the time of the inspection 29 people lived in the service. Most people live in the service permanently, and some spend short periods there to provide respite to their main carers. In addition, some people move to the service from hospital whilst an assessment is carried out to see which services they require in their own home.
Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection. The service remained rated Good overall.
Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.
Our inspection took place on 23 November 2015 and was unannounced. At our last inspection in June 2013 we found the provider was complying with all regulations we looked at.
Dolphin Manor is situated in a residential area of Rothwell, close to some local amenities. It provides accommodation for up to 35 people and has two dining rooms, several homely lounges, a residents’ bar, visitor’s room and a hairdressing salon.
There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People told us they felt safe in the home and we found they were protected from potential abuse by staff who had been trained in safeguarding vulnerable adults and understood when and how to report any concerns. People were further protected because the provider performed robust background checks on staff and ensured the premises were clean and well maintained.
Individual risks were well assessed in care plans and we saw evidence this was reviewed regularly. Procedures relating to the management of medicines were adhered to, and medicines were appropriately handled and stored.
People told us they liked the staff and felt they provided good care and support. Staff were present in sufficient numbers to meet people’s needs.
Staff were supported to deliver care by robust induction, training and supervision. The provider listened to the opinions of people using the service when assessing staff during induction.
People’s care plans contained appropriate mental capacity assessments. We saw evidence that staff received appropriate training in the Mental Capacity Act and staff we spoke with understood how this impacted on the way they supported people. People told us they had freedom to choose their routines and were offered choice in the support they received.
We were told without exception that people liked living in the home and were supported by skilled and caring staff who understood their needs and preferences. People’s privacy, dignity and confidentiality were respected.
There were systems in place to ensure complaints and concerns were well managed and we saw evidence these were followed when concerns were raised.
The registered manager was seen as approachable and supportive. They ensured that people using and working in the service were regularly consulted in in the running of the home. The registered manager and provider undertook a rolling programme of audits to monitor service delivery and improvement.
We saw that peoples' wishes were taken into account. We saw in one persons' care plan they felt they were losing their independence because staff were walking them to the toilet and they wanted to go on their own. As a result of this a risk assessment had been done and this person was now able to go unaided.
We looked at how the administration of medication was managed and found this was done appropriately. Risk assessments were done to enable people to administer and keep medication in their room. People who had chosen this option had keys to their rooms and a cabinet where the medication was stored.
We found people were cared for by staff who were appropriately trained and vetting procedures had been followed prior to commencing employment.
The provider had a number of procedures to regularly assess and monitor the quality of the service people received. These included monthly reviews of care and support plans, clinical reviews of people's care when needed, regular health and safety risk assessments, audits of medicines, complaints and incident reviews.
People said they felt comfortable and safe in the home. One person commented on the 'homely' feel of Dolphin Manor and said it was like living as 'one big family.' People told us they were involved in making decisions about their care and treatment. One person commented 'The care here is very good and I'm well looked after' and another said 'I have no complaints about the care here, I am very much satisfied.'
People spoken with were complimentary about the staff. One person commented 'The staff are lovely' and another said 'The staff all treat us with respect'
People felt able to make comments or complaints and believed they would be listened to and their concerns acted on, without the fear that they would be discriminated against for making a complaint. One person told us 'The staff always sort out any problems when asked.' And another said 'We can go to the office if we have a problem and they will sort it out for you.'